


Idolatry

by valisi



Series: Vespers [11]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Smut, Love Letters, M/M, Marriage, Masturbation, Team Bonding, Team Dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-26
Updated: 2016-08-31
Packaged: 2018-08-11 05:38:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7878598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/valisi/pseuds/valisi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi has taken his team away from headquarters for a week to focus on team building. While he's away, he receives some ridiculous orders and a love letter from Erwin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the last pre-cannon piece for this series.

When the supply wagon came over the horizon, Levi breathed out heavily. Petra seemed nervous. Oluo, Eld and Gunther were all standing with their arms crossed. They were all tired, and Levi had been tempted to tell them it was time to go home, but they were only halfway through the week. The objective still had not been reached. 

As the supply wagon came closer, Levi was surprised to see Nanaba driving it by herself. The wagon slowed and the horse came to a slow trot next to the team. 

“Good morning, Team Levi!” Nanaba smiled. Petra ran up to greet Nanaba with a warm smile. 

“Nanaba!” Petra smiled widely. “How are things at home?” 

“Typical,” Nanaba dismounted and walked over to the Captain. She pulled out a new set of order papers from her jacket and handed them to Levi. “You need to come home soon, Captain. Hange is starting to smell again.” 

“Have Mike do it,” Levi snapped. He took the orders from Nanaba's hands. 

“He says he's too busy,” Nanaba grinned. 

“How did you get stuck with this job?” Levi cocked his head to the side. 

“I asked for it,” Nanaba said. Levi didn't understand why she would do that, but he didn't question her anymore. 

Oluo, Gunther and Eld began unloading their rations and supplies for the rest of the week and organizing them. Petra joined in to help after getting a fist bump from Nanaba.

Levi unfolded the orders, and a separate envelope fell from them as well. The envelope had Levi's name on it, and he knew to save it until later. He held the envelope in one hand while he read the orders. All of the proper blanks were filled in, and Levi's eyes dropped to the center of the page to read the main content.

_Think of me while you come tonight._

Erwin's name and rank were printed below as usual. Then his sprawling signature was under it.

 _“Perverted old man,”_ he thought. Levi folded up the orders and put them, and the envelope that came with them, in the breast pocket of his jacket. When they didn't slide in easily, Levi looked down. The picture frame with Erwin's sketch in it that Hange had given him was in the way. He slid the papers behind the frame and closed his jacket again. 

Levi looked up again, and Gunther tossed him a cigarette tin. Levi caught it and opened it. It was full and had plenty of matches. 

“I didn't know you smoked, Captain,” Gunther said. 

“I don't,” Levi replied. He closed the tin and put it in his back pocket. 

“It was on the list,” Nanaba said casually, but didn't add to that. Oluo tossed Petra her supplies. 

“Here's your rags,” Oluo smarted. Petra's face turned bright red. 

“Petra,” Levi snapped. 

“Yes, Sir!” Petra turned and faced Levi at full attention despite her cheeks still being flushed, the package of supplies still held tightly in her hands.

“Kick Oluo's ass or go home with Nanaba,” Levi ordered. Oluo froze. Petra's eyes raised to meet the Captain's. “Decide now!” Levi commanded. The supplies Petra was holding instantly dropped to the ground, and she was on top of Oluo then. Oluo was screaming while he fell backwards and swatting at Petra, but he didn't fight back. Petra's knees were on Oluo's biceps and her hands flew wildly back and forth over his face. Then those hands clenched into fists. Gunther and Eld stood to the side and watched Petra wail on Oluo. 

“Damn,” Nanaba smiled at Levi. 

“You would've done the same without prompting,” Levi commented. 

“Fucking right I would have,” Nanaba nodded. “Do you need to send anything back with me, Captain?” 

“No,” Levi said. “Thank you.” Nanaba handed the Captain another envelope and mounted the wagon. She didn't say anything when she pulled away from the team. 

Gunther didn't stop Petra until he saw the Oluo's nose was already bleeding and he had bitten his tongue again. With a smile, Gunther wrapped his arms around Petra's and pulled her off. She stopped fighting instantly, and began focusing on catching her breath. Gunther took his arms away from Petra when she was back on her feet. 

“You did good,” Gunther said and patted the top of her head. “He'll bruise up but you didn't hit his eyes once.” Eld pulled a menstrual rag out of Petra's supplies and tossed one of them on Oluo's bloody face. 

“Oh, look,” Eld said. “Petra's got something to help you with that leak, Oluo.” There was a distinct growl from Oluo's chest as he sat up and dabbed at his face with the rag. 

“Captain,” Oluo seemed horrified by Levi's orders for Petra, but he didn't have the balls to say anything about it.

“Figure out a different way to flirt or it will happen again,” Levi's voice was flat, and Eld and Gunther had to cover their mouths to hide their laughter. Petra's face was still red, but it seemed to be more from rage than embarrassment now. She was staring a hole through Oluo. It seemed like she was a bit shocked at what she had done, but Levi noticed the sense of pride and power she had now.

Levi opened the envelope that Nanaba had handed him. It was a card with Mike and Nanaba's names on it and a date. Their marriage date. So, they had finally done it. There was a line inviting Levi to celebrate with them at a local bar that was their favorite. A note from Mike was written at the bottom. 

_We're waiting for all of you to get back. Don't rush._

Levi put the card back in the envelope. There wasn't any more room in his pockets for it and he walked over to his horse to put it in a saddle bag. While he was at it, he put the ludicrous orders in his saddlebag as well. But the letter stayed in his jacket.

“What were the new orders, Captain?” Eld asked. That's what Levi liked about Eld. Always on target. 

“It's above your clearance,” Levi said. Eld nodded and picked up his supplies to pack them on his horse.

“We should have the same clearance as you, Captain,” Oluo complained. “How can we follow orders that we don't know?” 

“Shut up,” Gunther snapped. 

“You all need to focus on your objective,” Levi told them. “I brought you out here so you wouldn't be distracted, and you're still finding ways to fuck off.” He didn't look at the four of them for their reaction. It was harsh, sure, but they weren't working as hard as he wanted them to. Levi mounted his horse and looked back at his team then. They seemed crushed by his words, but it couldn't be helped.


	2. Chapter 2

The dishes from their supper were still strewn around the fire, and there was silence for a long while after they had finished eating. Levi was resting his eyes and ignoring his team. They hadn't made any progress during the day, and he was thoroughly irritated with all of them. However, eventually the four of them relaxed enough to start conversation. Mostly, Oluo continued to talk. Eld and Gunther added content when they thought it was appropriate. Petra seemed to be listening intently to Oluo for a while. The direction of the conversation was eventually led to the training they had been doing and what they should try differently. Levi tuned out. 

Levi opened his eyes. He remembered the letter in his breast pocket then, and took it out to read it. The gorgeous handwriting covered the entire page. 

_15 MAR 847_

_Dear Levi,_

_Last night, I couldn't sleep. I'm accustomed to you being in the room when I lay down in bed. Your chair has gone unused during your absence. It looks very lonely._

_Unable to think of anything better to do, I took out the letters and notes you've written to me. I wanted you to know that I've kept every letter or note that you've given me. They're all stuck into the spine towards the back of my father's journal. While I know you're adverse to touching the book, there will come a day that you'll have to take care of it for me. Don't shy away from reading your own words. Your voice is so strong in my head when I read them. Some are soft. Most of them read like orders and demands._

_While I was laying in bed, surrounded by those pieces of paper that are dripping with your voice, I realized that I had never taken the time to write you a response to any of them. How can I call myself a proper lover if I have never sent a love letter to you?_

_I've never written a love letter in my life though. How am I doing so far? Are you desperate to come home to me yet?_

_I've been sincerely hoping that it will not take you a another three days to come home as you have originally estimated. Even after all of this time, I still cannot brew tea like you, despite your insistence that you use a completely normal method._

_I'm not claiming that you are dishonest and that there is some sort of trick that you're using to make your tea taste better. However, I do know that my tea always tastes excellent when you make it, and when I make it for myself, it's always so bland. I've decided that it's the attention to detail that you spend during the steeping process. It may also be a supernatural power that you posses. I've decided it's the latter._

_I've been smoking while I'm writing this. It made me wonder if you took cigarettes with you. Hange swears that you only smoke when you're around me. She claims that she's never even seen you touch one during times that we are unable to see each other. Why do you do that to yourself, Levi? Don't you crave it?_

_If I go a day without one, I just end up licking my lips while longing for that familiar flavor. You've seen it. You've even been preventing it more often lately by filling up my tin for me without my knowledge. That perfect practice of hand to mouth and breathing along with it has always calmed me. There are very few things that a cigarette and warm bath can't fix. Right, darling?_

_By the way, I did notice that you had been in my room before you left. Thank you for making the bed. I've been more forgetful lately of those small things._

_At first, I was a bit concerned and embarrassed that I've been so forgetful, but then you reminded me that forgetfulness is normal for an old man. While I think you meant to tease me, it felt very good to be considered old. So many haven't had the privilege._

_When this reaches you, I hope that you will be looking forward to coming home. I bought a fresh bar of your favorite soap today for your first shower upon your return. I even asked the soap maker to double the lemon zest in the recipe._

_I'll also be sending some new orders along with this letter. I know you won't appreciate them at first, but I hope that you'll change your mind. Make me proud._

_Love,_

_Erwin_

Levi folded up the letter and put it back in his breast pocket. There was some heat in his cheeks, and he took a drink of water to distract him from his thoughts. Oluo and Petra were bickering again. Eld was writing a letter. Gunther was almost asleep already. 

Standing from his position, Levi walked over to his horse and took the letter out of his breast pocket. He put it in the same saddlebag as the rest of his papers. 

“You okay, Captain?” Petra had stopped bickering with Oluo long enough to follow his movements. “You look tired.” 

“I'm going to go take a shit,” Levi said. He tied his saddlebag tightly and moved away from his horse. Petra grinned and Oluo grimaced. 

“Why do you have to announce your shit schedule?” Oluo grunted.

“It's important to know where the Captain is, Oluo,” Petra insisted. 

“Not all of us worship him, Petra,” Oluo bit back. The two were completely distracted by each other again. 

Without another word, Levi walked into the darkness of the forest.


	3. Chapter 3

The carriage that brought Erwin back from Mitras slowed to a stop in front of headquarters. He stepped out and down to the ground, so thankful to be home again. A setting sun gave the headquarters a golden color and Erwin smiled. His assistant grabbed his bags from the carriage and walked away to put them in Erwin's room. The carriage pulled away and Erwin only took a single step to the front door. 

“Commander!” Hange called out. Erwin looked in the direction of the voice and saw Hange walking down the road away from headquarters, but she turned and ran back to him. “How did it go?” Her face was warm and happy. 

“Funding is secured,” Erwin assured her. 

“Oh, good,” Hange smiled widely. “That means you can go out tonight.” Erwin shook his head. 

“Not tonight, Hange. I'm tired.” 

“But it's Mike and Nanaba's celebration,” Hange whined. Erwin's mouth twisted up in a smirk. “Just one drink?” Hange smiled widely again. Erwin cleared his throat and Hange leaned up closer to him. “Just. One. Drink.” Erwin grinned and backed away from Hange. 

“Alright,” Erwin nodded. “Fine. Just one!” Hange linked her arm with Erwin's and firmly directed Erwin in the direction of the bar. 

“Tell me what I've missed,” Erwin said. Hange began talking at her usual pace. At first she seemed completely absorbed in her Titan theories as usual. Erwin had heard most of them and only gleaned away the information that was new. Hange talked so much about Titans that she had forgotten what she had said and to whom. So she just shared all of the information she had whenever she had an audience. Then, she mentioned a couple of skirmishes that soldiers had between themselves. Nothing out of the ordinary.

“Oh,” Hange said. “Team Levi came back today. They all looked like shit.” Erwin laughed. 

“I thought they might,” Erwin said. “Levi probably gave them leave today though so I'm sure they've rested. I'm interested to hear how they did out there.” 

“What was the purpose of taking them to that forest?” 

“Team building, I think,” Erwin offered. 

“Huh,” Hange commented. “There aren't any Titan practice forms out there though. So was it survival based?” 

“I don't know,” Erwin admitted. “Levi seemed really adamant that it was necessary for his team's improvement. I didn't pry. He was really worked up about it when he asked if he could take them away from headquarters for a while to train. Well worked up in the way-”

“In the way that Levi gets worked up,” Hange provided. 

“His arms were crossed so tightly I thought he would snap his elbows,” Erwin laughed. Hange grinned and nodded. 

“I wonder what they did,” Hange cocked her head with the thought. “They all seem like pretty good kids.” 

“It probably doesn't have anything to with what they did,” Erwin said. “It's probably more about something they haven't done.” Hange raised her eyebrows and looked up at Erwin. Erwin smiled down at her. Hange tightened the linking of their arms and smiled before she looked back to the road. 

It only took a few more minutes for them to get to the bar, and Erwin was surprised that Hange had not said another word. The closer they walked to the bar the louder the noises of voices became. Once they were standing at the front door, there was a muffled roar coming from inside the bar.

When Hange opened the door, they were met with a multitude of voices coming from what looked like an entire company of soldiers along with multiple Team Leaders. So it had been an open invitation then. The men and women were overcrowding the bar, and there were multiple bartenders instead of only one. 

“Wow!” Hange squealed and stepped inside pulling Erwin with her. Once Erwin stepped in, the some soldiers started to quieten down. Quite a few were drunk enough to not notice the Commander had just walked through the door, but Erwin didn't acknowledge any of the soldiers, not even the few who were sober enough to stand at attention. He broke the link of his arms with Hange and walked directly to Mike and Nanaba. He had to break up a push-up competition to get by. Hange walked over to a sloppy Moblit and began badgering him. 

“Congratulations,” Erwin smiled and he shook Mike's hand firmly. 

“Thanks,” Mike smiled widely. “Welcome home by the way.” 

“It's good to be back,” Erwin nodded. Nanaba approached them then and Erwin broke the handshake. When Nanaba leaned up, Erwin kissed both of her cheeks. 

“Congratulations,” he said. It sounded like a whisper among the noise, but he was really raising his voice. The initial shock of seeing the Commander walk through the door had finally worn off, and the soldiers had gone back to celebrating. 

“Thank you, Commander,” Nanaba smiled warmly. “How was Mitras? Disgusting as ever?” Erwin laughed. 

“No, of course not. It's beautiful as always.” There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice that he couldn't smother.

“Yeah, sure,” Nanaba teased. “I've heard when the wind is right you can smell the pigs down to Shiganshina.” Erwin laughed loudly at that and Nanaba giggled. A few soldiers nearby stopped to see what the Commander had laughed about, but they were quickly distracted by something else. Mike wrapped his arm around Nanaba and leaned down to kiss her hair. 

“Give him a break,” Mike said. “He just got home.” 

“I know,” Nanaba gave in. “I'm sorry. Let's get you a drink, Commander.” 

“Whiskey please,” Erwin said. He glanced over the bar and saw Team Levi among many other soldiers. There was no sign of Levi himself though. Mike handed him a glass of whiskey and Erwin lifted his glass. The two men and Nanaba clinked their glasses together and took a drink. Then they all settled against the bar and watched their comrades and friends having a great time. 

“Levi was here earlier,” Mike mentioned. “I don't think he slept at all while he was out there.” 

“He looked tired then?” 

“Hell yes, he looked sick,” Mike nodded. “He left pretty soon after he spoke to us.”

“Hopefully he's sleeping now,” Erwin said. The subject was quickly changed, and Erwin lost himself in the interaction. 

Three glasses of whiskey later, Erwin was sitting with Hange while she relentlessly bullied Moblit with Titan stories. All of the other soldiers had avoided being near the two of them, and Erwin had noticed. His curiosity had gotten the best of him, and he had found himself fully involved in Hange's sadistic prodding of Moblit. It fascinated Erwin that someone who was so terribly afraid of just hearing Titan stories was so brave when Titans were actually present. But that was how Hange chose her people. She respected that fear because she didn't understand it herself. Erwin inhaled of his cigarette and blew a smoke ring for a delighted Hange. She swirled her finger around in it before it dissipated. Hange drank a lot faster than any of them, but Moblit had consumed more than anyone in the bar. Moblit never had any spare money after a night out with Hange. He was having trouble sitting up straight now. 

“Hange,” Erwin said. “Tell him about the time you slapped that 15 meter's hand.” Hange's eyes lit up. 

“Have mercy, Commander!” Moblit screamed and almost melted under the table. A few soldiers were startled by Moblit's scream for mercy and moved farther away. 

“His heart can't take it, Erwin,” Hange laughed. “Let's test it anyway though!” And she began the story. Poor Moblit was leaning over on the table and drool was slipping out of his mouth.  
Erwin stood from the table and tapped his cigarette out. Hange interrupted her own story and looked up at Erwin. 

“You're leaving already,” she protested. Erwin smiled down at her. 

“I've had three drinks, Hange, I've stayed much longer than I intended." Hange frowned. 

“Alright,” she said begrudgingly with her eyes squinted. 

“Good night,” Erwin nodded to Hange and Moblit. Moblit was incapable of responding at that point, and Hange had already turned her attention back to teasing him. Erwin waved at Mike and Nanaba on his way out. Mike lifted his hand, but Nanaba wasn't looking in his direction. 

Erwin walked back to headquarters alone by the light of the moon and street lamps and wondered about Levi. He had expected his lover to seek him out once he returned from Mitras, but Erwin was also satisfied with the idea that Levi was sleeping. It was even possible that Levi might sleep a regular eight hours if he was as exhausted as Mike said he had been. 

When Erwin was in headquarters again, he began walking towards his quarters. The building was so quiet. He stopped when he passed the officer's library and saw a faint glow of light under the door. All of the officers had still been at the bar when he left it.

Erwin turned the doorknob and leaned into the room to see Levi sitting at one of the tables in the small room with an open book and a burning candle next to him. When Levi looked up, Erwin could see that he still looked tired. 

“Levi,” Erwin said as he fully entered the room. He shut the door quietly behind him. “Shouldn't you be sleeping?” 

“I have,” Levi said. He leaned back from the book and looked from Erwin's face slowly down to his boots. 

“Maybe sleep some more,” Erwin suggested gently. “You still look very tired.” 

“I am,” Levi nodded. “But I woke up with something on my mind.” Erwin closed the distance between them and stood to the side of the table. He glanced at the open book, but didn't try to see what Levi was reading. Their eyes met again, and Erwin felt a wave of calm wash over him. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” 

“No,” Levi said simply. 

"You're missing quite the celebration down the road," Erwin said. 

"Yeah," Levi nodded. "I went earlier, but it became a shit show soon after that. So I left." 

"I'm glad you decided to sleep instead." The corners of Levi's mouth turned up in a gentle smile, and Erwin felt heat flood his chest. 

“Lean down here.” Erwin grinned and leaned down for a kiss. When their lips met, Erwin couldn't stifle a pleased sigh. Levi liked that Erwin's mouth was hot and tasted like whiskey. Mutually, they pulled away and took a moment to look at each other. 

“Welcome home,” Erwin said finally. 

“You too. I was told you had to go to Mitras again.”

“It was horrible without you,” Erwin smiled. 

“I'm glad I missed it.” 

“Go back to bed,” Erwin chided gently. 

“I will,” Levi promised. “I'm going to finish this section.” Erwin nodded. 

“Goodnight, Levi.” Erwin gave him a kiss on the forehead. 

“What's your schedule like in the morning?” 

“Very busy,” Erwin admitted. “I'll have about an hour of spare time starting at 1600.” Levi nodded. 

“You sent me some orders while I was away,” Levi said. “I need to give you a report.” The flame in Erwin's eyes intensified, and Levi wished he had the energy to pursue it. 

“Alright then,” Erwin said. 

“Your office?” Erwin thought about it while he looked into Levi's gray gaze. 

“Maybe too many possibilities of interruption.” 

“Here then,” Levi suggested. Erwin nodded. 

“Here then,” he agreed. Levi leaned up towards him again, and Erwin indulged him in one more good night kiss. 

“Good night, Erwin,” Levi muttered. Erwin stood up straight again and turned to walk to the door. 

“Good night, darling,” Erwin said before he closed the door behind him.


	4. Worship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I completed this much faster than originally estimated. Since this is the last pre-canon part of this series, I worked a little slower. 
> 
> Talk to me on tumblr sometime: [valisi](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/valisi-clark)

The next afternoon, Levi was feeling jittery with anticipation. He felt fully rested, and he had a mountain of paperwork that had collected while he was gone. Even though the morning had passed quickly, he started feeling sluggish after lunch until he remembered his meeting with Erwin. It was difficult for him to focus on his paperwork and not glance at the clock. Eventually, he found the work flow he needed and was immersed in working his way through the stacks of back logged work. When he looked up at the clock again it was five minutes past the designated meeting time. 

Levi scribbled a note to leave on his desk for anyone who might need to see him during the time he was away. 

_Shit Break. Estimated time of return: 1530_

Levi dropped his pen and rushed out of his office. 

While he was moving through headquarters to get back to the library, he didn't make eye contact with any soldiers he passed. He did his best to look like he was in a rush to do an important deed. In fact, he was. 

A quick stop by the supply closet, and he found the sign he needed. Then, Levi hurried to the library. 

Levi hung the “Closed for Cleaning” sign on the doorknob before entering the library. He closed the door behind him and locked it.  
When he turned around, he didn't see Erwin immediately. 

“Hey,” Levi said. 

“Back here,” Erwin called back. Levi walked around bookshelves to the back corner of the library where he heard the familiar voice. 

When he walked around the bookshelf that was closest to the back of the room, Levi stopped and stared at Erwin. The tall blonde was sitting at a table near the big windows that let a lot of natural light flood the room. The afternoon sunlight was causing Erwin's hair to glisten in tones of gold that Levi had not seen in a long time. Erwin had a book in his hand, and it was the same book Levi had the night before. Levi wondered if that was coincidence, but he knew Erwin was sly enough to know which book he had been reading from only a glance. Erwin turned a page, and Levi walked to the table then. 

“I'm sorry,” Erwin said without looking up. “I didn't intend to bring work with me, but I was interrupted quite a bit this morning.” 

“It's fine,” Levi said. “I lost track of time too.” Levi pushed all of the paperwork on the table to the side. He lifted himself from the floor and sat on hard wood of the table. Then, Levi slid across the surface until he was in front of Erwin, and he put a leg on either side of the man. His feet dangled far from the floor, and it was nice to feel taller than Erwin for a change. Slender hands found the edge of the table, and Levi leaned forward on them to cast a shadow over Erwin's book. 

“Oh,” Erwin finally lifted his eyes from the book and up to Levi. The blue gaze made Levi's heart skip, and he internally cringed from the reaction. Some of the feelings he had still made him uncomfortable., but it was a breathtaking moment to see those burning blue irises looking up at him rather than down at him. Erwin closed the book and set it aside with his paperwork. His attention was fully on Levi now, and he folded his hands in his lap. Levi loved the feeling of having such a busy man neglecting everything else just for him. 

“So how was the training?” Erwin asked cheerfully. The irritation on Levi's face was instant. 

“They didn't do as well as I wanted them to,” Levi complained. 

“You were so upset when you came to ask permission to take them down there, I didn't even ask what the objective was,” Erwin said. Levi shrugged and rolled his eyes. 

“I was hoping that getting them away from headquarters for a while would get them to focus on each other. Bonding or some shit,” Levi admitted. “And that part worked at least. They're all thoroughly familiar with each other's farts now.” Erwin shook his head with a smile at the familiar crudeness. 

“What part didn't work?” 

“They aren't using as much nonverbal communication as I had hoped,” Levi said. Erwin's brows pinched together and he tilted his head. 

“They've only been working together for about six months, Levi,” Erwin explained. “You're expecting a lot for such a short amount of time.” 

“I need them to be better,” Levi insisted. Erwin still didn't understand Levi's urgency.

“Explain it to me in a different way then.” 

“The last expedition, they were yelling at each other the entire time. When they were fighting, they had to verbally communicate to be effective, and I need them to not do that. It slowed them down. I want them to work so well together that they don't have to say a fucking word to know where the next blade is,” Levi said.

“Ah,” Erwin said with final understanding. “A few seconds can make all of the difference, but you took them to a forest that didn't have any Titan practice forms in it.” 

“Yeah, I did,” Levi said. “Titan forms aren't going to help them. They can slay titans just fine, but I need their teamwork to improve. I want them to move as a single unit.” 

“You took maneuvering gear though. So what did you use for a target?” 

“Me,” Levi said. “They were supposed to knock my knife out of my hand and put my back in the dirt.” Erwin's eyebrows shot up and a smirk ran over his face. 

“Levi,” he chuckled. 

“What?” 

“Giving a soldier an impossible task is the fastest way to gut his or her morale,” Erwin said.Levi shook his head. 

“Well,” he huffed. “That was part of the point too. Oluo has a shitty habit of not attempting something he doesn't think he can accomplish. And he'll discourage the others in the process. Then Eld starts blabbering trying to fix what damage Oluo has done, and it's almost impossible to shut him up. Then they fight, and Petra and Gunther are just standing there watching until I have to knock Eld and Oluo's heads together.” Erwin tilted his head to the side. 

“Huh,” was all he could say. 

“Yeah. It's a fucking problem that's been repeating lately.” 

“They all have very strong personalities. It's normal to bicker. But what was the result?” Levi smirked down at Erwin with pride. 

“They knocked the knife out of my hand,” Levi smiled widely then and his face lit up. It touched Erwin to see Levi so satisfied and proud of his team. “Twice.” Erwin laughed then. 

“Twice, you say!” He encouraged Levi's joy. 

“Twice, Erwin,” Levi repeated. “The first time they did it, Petra cried, and I thought Gunther would break his own neck because he was celebrating midair. Oluo looked like he would puke. Eld yelled at all of them for reacting so strongly.” 

“That's a very strange dynamic,” Erwin acknowledged.

“I know,” Levi said. “But they were so stupidly happy. That stopped pretty quickly when I reminded them they didn't knock me down."

“So I'm guessing the first time was just luck, but what about the second time.” 

“Don't even fucking ask,” Levi groaned. 

“Come on,” Erwin asked gently. He prodded one of Levi's thighs with a single finger before his hand retreated back to his lap.

“It's disgusting, Erwin,” Levi insisted. 

“Well, now I have to know,” Erwin insisted. “I will pull rank for this information.” 

“You asshole.” 

“Come on, Captain,” Erwin smiled. Levi huffed and looked to the window. He grimaced and shook his head as if he couldn't believe what he was about to say. 

“On the sixth day, things were going at their usual shitty pace. At first, they couldn't even catch up because they were tired,” Levi explained. “I was so pissed. I was yelling at them about how fucking useless they are. Then when I turned around, I saw that only Gunther, Petra and Oluo were behind me.” 

“Oh, no,” Erwin said with fake suspense. 

“So, I turn back around, and fucking Eld is standing on a giant fucking tree limb in front of me, waving his dick around, making it rain piss,” Levi said. Erwin instantly burst out into rolling laughter, and his hands raised to his belly. Levi chuckled thinking back to the memory of his shock. “Eld was convinced I was going to kill him.” The tactic was disgusting, but Levi had to admit that it was awfully clever. And effective.

“Did he soak you?” Erwin was asking through his laughter. One hand went back to his lap, but the other reached up to his hair to make sure he hadn't knocked it out of place with his laughter. 

“Of course not,” Levi said. “But I spent so much time trying to avoid the stream that Petra snuck up behind me and actually grabbed the fucking knife right out of my hand. She didn't just knock it down. She actually took it out of my hand.” Erwin chuckled once more. 

“Wow,” Erwin nodded. “Impressive.” The hand picking at his hair dropped back to his lap.

“They cheated,” Levi insisted. 

“You haven't tried if you haven't cheated, Levi,” Erwin reminded him. 

“I know,” Levi said. “And I know I'm the one that taught them that.” 

“So they never did put you in the dirt then,” Erwin said. 

“No,” Levi shook his head. “Maybe some other time.” 

“Probably not.” 

“If you and Mike are capable of putting me down on my knees in shit water, then four of the best soldiers in the Corps should be able to knock me out of the air,” Levi snapped. 

“You're a different man now, Levi.” The affection in Erwin's voice wasn't wasted on Levi and he looked back down at the man. “Maybe I could knock you out of the air if you weren't expecting it, but I won't ever agree to fight you when your feet are on the ground again. I wouldn't dare try that now. Even with Mike and Hange both assisting me, I would still have to cheat to ever put you on your knees again.” Levi lifted an eyebrow at him speculatively. “Well,” Erwin added. “Strictly in a combat sense, I mean.” Levi smirked. Erwin lifted his hands and put them on Levi's knees to accent his point that those joints meant something different to him now. Levi liked looking at Erwin's hands. They were big and looked strong, but they could do many delicate things. Levi knew exactly how nimble each individual finger could be. And he appreciated that Erwin always kept his fingernails short and well groomed.

“Sure,” Levi muttered. 

“How about that report?” Erwin's voice was softer now. Levi felt a little nervous then. He had offered to give it, but Erwin's eagerness had put him on the spot.

“I'll give it to you tonight,” Levi offered. “We might run late-” 

“Now is good,” Erwin said. “I'm listening.” 

“Those orders were filthy.” 

“I had a sneaking suspicion that you weren't sleeping while you were out there,” Erwin admitted. “I was hoping I could help you with that.” Levi cleared his throat suddenly feeling awkward. 

“You could've sent orders to just sleep when I could,” Levi argued. 

“That's not as fun,” Erwin said. “Not to mention that I'm not in the habit of giving impossible orders. I have no idea where you get it from.” 

“Well,” Levi snorted. “Even if I didn't sleep, it did help relieve some of the stress.”

“Good,” Erwin smirked. “Look at me, Levi.” The gray gaze met Erwin's eyes. “I'm listening.” Levi was kind of regretting offering a report at all then. He uncrossed his arms and gently pushed Erwin's hands off his knees. 

“If it's going to be accurate, you can't distract me,” Levi said. Erwin held his hands up and leaned back in his chair. 

“You're right,” Erwin said. He folded his hands back in his lap then. 

“So I went into the woods,” Levi explained. His eyes dropped away from Erwin's, and he focused on the clasp of Erwin's bolo tie. “And found a tree.” The pause went a little too long, and Erwin knew that Levi needed some encouragement. Before he could say anything, Levi spoke up again. 

“It took a while to let enough belts loose for me to be kind of comfortable,” Levi admitted. Then there was another pause. Levi had no idea how to do this. Nothing he said sounded sexy at all. All of the lines that he had imagined saying to Erwin the night before had escaped him. Erwin wiggled his foot back and forth with impatience, and he sank into his thoughts while Levi seemed to be stuck. An idea came to Erwin then.

“Maybe do a demonstration,” Erwin suggested with a smirk. Levi met his eyes again. “You were undoing your belts.” 

“I'm not doing that,” Levi snapped.

“Then I'll consider the orders unfulfilled,” Erwin said with his typical calm tone. “And I'll deny you the compensation I would normally give you for a job well done,” Erwin paused to make sure Levi was following what he meant. Levi's eyes opened wider at Erwin. “Until you can give me a proper report.” Levi frowned.

“Fine!” Levi started pulling at his clothes then, begrudgingly of course. Erwin smiled. It was nice to see Levi flustered as long as there wasn't a real consequence for it. 

First, the brown wrap around Levi's hips had to come off, and he let it drop to the table under him. Then the belts of his chest harness attached to his waist belt had to be released. Levi pulled at his waist belt and released the prongs. He pushed the loose ends to the side, pulled on the belts around his crotch and unbuttoned his pants. When he grabbed his zipper, he glanced at Erwin's lap then. He couldn't see if Erwin was turned on because the man's giant hands were in the way. Slowly, Levi pulled his zipper down as he felt his cock swelling. Then Levi's eyes met Erwin's, and he saw the fire in the blue irises that he missed so much. 

“I leaned against the tree.” Levi used one hand to lift himself off the table. The other hand pushed at his pants until they slid down. Then, he hooked his thumb into his underwear and pushed his pants and underwear down until they rested below his cock and balls. He sat back down fully, and liked the feeling of the wood of the table against his bare ass. Erwin's eyes fell to Levi's manhood. Just knowing that Erwin was looking at him doing this was enough to make Levi swell harder. He closed his eyes and focused on the memory of touching himself out in the dark forest with his Team nearby. 

“I had to be quiet,” Levi muttered and he wrapped a hand around his hard cock. At first his hand was gentle, and then he squeezed. With the first pump, he heard Erwin inhale through his teeth. 

“Oh, Levi,” Erwin whispered. Levi's hand was moving over his hard member from base to tip then in a slow rhythm. “I'm so glad to see you took your time.” 

“I took my time at first,” Levi agreed. “But then I started thinking of you.” 

“Yeah.” 

“Your eyes,” Levi said. “Then your arms.” Levi bit his bottom lip then and his hand started moving faster. “Your legs.” Levi opened his eyes and saw that Erwin had folded his hands behind his head. Erwin was reclining back a bit in his chair trying his best not to touch Levi or himself. “And your cock.” Hearing his own breathy words made Levi harder, and he closed his eyes again. 

“Keep going, Levi,” Erwin whispered. Levi nodded and started increasing his motion. 

“I just,” Levi had to stop talking when he felt precome collect at his tip. 

“You were thinking about the way I put my mouth on you,” Erwin offered. He knew that it was difficult for Levi to find words even without being distracted and was glad to help. “Grab you by the neck and kiss you until your breathless. I love putting my tongue in your mouth, Levi.” Levi gasped and he stopped his motion to rub the little pool of precome around his head with his thumb. 

“Do you remember,” Levi gasped and then continued. “The first time you touched me.” 

“Of course, I do, darling,” Erwin smiled, but couldn't think back to the memory with such a wonderful sight already in front of him. The image of Levi leaning over with his hand around his cock was so beautiful. Precome was glistening on Levi's head now. If only Levi had been able to move his shirt up so Erwin could see more of him, it would have been perfect. There was a little trail of dark hair that ran from Levi's navel down to his groin, and Erwin loved looking at it. He couldn't see it under the shirt, but he imagined it. Then Levi's hand started moving up and down his length again, slowly. 

“I started with that,” Levi barely opened his eyes and looked down to Erwin's face. “But we didn't stop with just your hand this time. This time you took your pants off and pressed your cock against my ass while you touched me.” Erwin's eyes went wide then, and his pupils dilated with the image in his mind. “And then you bent me over that old bed, and you licked my asshole until I came dry.” Levi watched the fascination pass over Erwin's face and he smirked. In practice, the act was disgusting, but it turned Levi on to think about Erwin doing that to him. It made Levi feel like he was clean enough to be licked anywhere. “Touch me,” Levi asked. Erwin swallowed and his wrapped his hands tightly in his own hair. 

“I want to,” Erwin admitted. Levi knew that Erwin wouldn't touch him yet. If they started, then there was no way that they would make it back to work in time. They would ruin the entire room.

“Mess up your hair,” Levi said. Erwin immediately used both hands to toss his hair until some strands fell in front of his forehead just the way Levi liked. 

“I would lick you for hours,” Erwin whispered. “Not just there. Everywhere.” Levi gasped and started moving his hand faster. He closed his eyes tightly

“Erwin,” Levi breathed. 

“Fuck yes, Levi.” Erwin's eyes watched Levi's hand intently, and then he glanced up to Levi's face. The man's neck and cheeks were already blushed red. His lips were parted on heavy breaths. Discomfort in the crotch of Erwin's pants increased. Erwin reached down with both hands and relieved the pressure by pulling his own cock up in his pants so the head rested between his belt and stomach rather than being bunched up. He considered pleasuring himself, but he didn't want to distract Levi or start something they would have to finish. Even though he would never admit it, he liked the denial. 

Feeling more comfortable, Erwin leaned in close to Levi until he could've touched him, but he didn't. He just put a hand on either side of Levi, palms down on the table. Hovering close, his eyes were in line with Levi's chest due to his height. So Levi would be able to hear him if he didn't speak at a normal tone. 

“Tonight,” Erwin whispered. “I'm going to lay you down on our bed.” Erwin paused and let Levi think about it. Levi caught what Erwin had said. It was their bed. It hadn't been Erwin's bed for a long time now. “And I'll put my wet tongue against your hole. You can touch yourself just like this for me, darling. I want you to.” Another pause and Levi nodded, mumbling for more. “Then, when you're soaked, I'll put my fingers inside you.” Levi moaned then, and he wavered a bit before catching himself. His free hand was gripping the edge of the table.“One by one. I'll stretch you out for my cock, Levi. I'll curve them in you until you feel like you're going to break your back trying to arch into them.” Levi was trembling then, and he hadn't opened his eyes anymore. The blush of his face was deeper. Erwin glanced down to Levi's pale hips, and watched the hand move back and forth. 

“I'm getting close,” Levi muttered. Erwin's hand inched closer to Levi's hand that was gripping the table. He reached out with his thumb and brushed the pad of it against the side of Levi's hand. It was dangerous to touch him anymore than that, but just that little bit of contact made Levi shudder.

“I want you to fuck me, Levi,” Erwin breathed the words. Gray eyes opened wide. Levi's free hand shot from the table and grabbed a handful of Erwin's hair. He tugged Erwin's face close to his cock, but stopped short before their skin touched. That's when Erwin really noticed that Levi's thighs were trembling hard against the table. Levi was pulling his hair really hard, but Erwin could only think about how weak Levi looked in that moment.

“Say it again,” Levi demanded. Erwin opened his mouth and exhaled hot breath on Levi's head. 

“I _want_ you to _fuck_ me, Levi,” Erwin repeated slowly. Levi's eyes shut tightly, and he couldn't stifle the groan that rose in his throat.

“I will,” Levi promised between panting. “I want to lay back and watch you fuck yourself on my cock, Erwin.” That was all the willpower he had left, and he released Erwin's hair so the man could lean back. The hot knot that had collected in Levi's groin finally came undone, and he felt all of that tension surge out of him. He was trembling so hard he thought he might fall over, but then he felt strong hands holding him up by the ribs. His heavy lidded gray eyes opened to look down at Erwin who was the only force holding him to the table now. 

Erwin's mouth and chin were coated in come, he hadn't moved back. The corners of Levi's mouth turned up. Neither of them said anything while Levi rode the aftershocks of what had been his best orgasm that he had ever achieved by himself. Erwin licked his top lip.

“Give me your mouth,” Levi whispered. Erwin stood from the chair and leaned down to kiss Levi, but Levi avoided Erwin's lips. Then, Levi's tongue ran against Erwin's mouth to lick the come off. Erwin's eyebrows raised and he looked into Levi's gray eyes. Levi was smiling. When Levi was sure Erwin wasn't going to stop him, he went back to licking the man's face. Erwin closed his eyes, and his fingertips clenched into Levi's ribs wishing that skin was under them instead of fabric. Levi gave Erwin's face long and slow licks until he was clean. He leaned back to see what he had missed. That's when he noticed that some had dropped down to Erwin's shirt and on the clasp of his bolo tie. 

“Look at me,” Levi commanded. Erwin opened his eyes. Levi's gray gaze was there, and then his head was dropping. “Looks like I've defiled this collar of yours.” It had offended Levi when he found out the clasp was only cheap brass surrounding green stained glass. He thought the Commander deserved so much more. Out of all of the jewels they had seen on the necks of the fat pigs in Mitras, the government wouldn't even spare a single precious metal or stone for the man who would save their world. But even if it wasn't valuable, it was still precious to Erwin, and Levi wanted to leave his mark. Levi's tongue reached out and roughly licked the green glass surrounded by the brass frame.

The fabric of Levi's shirt pulled tightly around him when Erwin clenched his fists. At first, Levi thought that meant he needed to stop. Maybe the collar comment had been too much. But Erwin didn't say anything. Again, Levi pressed his hot tongue against the cool green clasp and he licked. It was clean already, but he didn't stop. 

Erwin felt like the breath had been knocked out of his chest. He couldn't close his eyes. He couldn't look away from what Levi was doing. Levi was licking the clasp so hard that it pressed into Erwin's skin through his shirt. Every time that heavy decoration pressed indented his skin, his heart skipped. 

“I love you, Levi,” Erwin muttered. Levi stopped then. Slowly, Levi lifted his head again until their eyes met. Erwin didn't wait for a response. He crushed Levi's lips against his own, and their lips parted. Tongues met, and Erwin could taste what Levi had been licking. A low growl raised in Erwin's chest, and he battled inside his own mind to decide whether he should fuck Levi right then or wait until he could take his time. But then he felt Levi's hand gently pressing at his abdomen to push him away. It grounded him back in reality and reminded him of their surroundings. Still holding tightly to Levi's shirt, Erwin felt like he was losing his breath. He broke the kiss and leaned back to look at Levi. The sunlight was giving Levi's eyes a silver highlight. 

_“I worship you,”_ Levi thought. He hoped his actions had conveyed what he really wanted to say. It felt like his face was burning from the light of Erwin's eyes. Erwin was waiting for the response he wanted. They had worked so hard together to give Levi the freedom to say it. 

“I love you,” Levi whispered finally. The smile that broke out over Erwin's face made Levi's mouth water. He could look at that smile all day. Erwin kissed Levi's lips again quickly and pulled back signaling that they needed to finish up. Levi agreed without a word. 

Carefully, with Erwin's support, Levi dropped down to the floor from the table. Erwin pulled a handkerchief out of his back pocket, the one Levi had bought for him, and handed it over so Levi could wipe off. After cleaning off his hand, Levi zipped, buttoned and belted himself back up again. He didn't take his time. Erwin looked around for a clock and of course couldn't see one. The movement had made his hair tickle his face, and he reached up to try and put the strands back in place. 

“Do I have sex hair?” Erwin asked, a bit self self-conscious. He started patting at his hair like that would help. It was thoroughly fucked up.

“You should worry about your shirt,” Levi said. Erwin looked down and saw the little specks of liquid that were drying against the fabric. 

“I've got time to stop by my room,” Erwin thought aloud. His face still felt sticky too. Levi looked up at the wild blonde hairs standing up on end. 

“You should keep your hair like that,” Levi said. Erwin laughed and pushed at his hair some more. Tired of seeing Erwin struggle with it, Levi motioned for him to lean over. Erwin followed the motion, and Levi patted at the blonde hair. When it didn't cooperate, Levi licked his palm and applied the spit to Erwin's locks. 

“Never thought you were the spit type,” Erwin said. 

“There's some of my come in there too probably,” Levi teased. 

“Damn it, Levi,” Erwin cringed. 

“Take a joke, old man,” Levi finally finished belting himself up again. He turned from Erwin then and secured his brown wrap back over his hips. Erwin grabbed Levi by the jacket, and pulled the shorter man off balance. 

“What-” Levi couldn't finish. Erwin had caught Levi in his arms and ran his tongue up the side of Levi's face. “Fuck!” Levi cried out. Erwin righted him and stepped away. 

“It's only spit, darling,” Erwin snapped. 

“You mother fucker,” Levi sneered and rubbed at the wet side of his face. 

“How did we not get interrupted in here,” Erwin wondered aloud as he walked to the entrance of the library ignoring Levi's protests. Levi pulled his own handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his face. Levi thought back to the tie. Licking it had felt so good. He pocketed both of the handkerchiefs, and looked down at himself to see how put together he was. It would do.

He walked to the front of the room and rounded a bookshelf to see Erwin waiting at the door for him. With a quick glance, Levi pointed at the crotch of Erwin's pants. The erection from earlier was still bit visible.

“Adjust your shit,” Levi said. Erwin looked down and adjusted the brown piece of material around his hips, but it wouldn't fully cover his crotch. He slid his hand into his pants to try and move it around, but that didn't work either. The side of Erwin's mouth tilted up a bit. 

“Let's just hope no one notices then,” Erwin said before unlocking the door. 

“Not notice,” Levi snorted. Every soldier in the Corps would notice that giant bulge. Levi felt a sense of pride knowing that he had put it there. Erwin opened the door and the “Closed for Cleaning” sign fell from the doorknob clattered to the floor.

“Did you do this so everyone would know where you were?” Erwin smiled. Levi passed Erwin and picked up the sign. He put it under his arm and started walking back to the storage room. By some miracle, no one saw them exit the library together.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short ending for fluff's sake.

Late that night, Erwin was sleeping when Levi was finally able to get to the Commander's quarters. When the sound of the door opening woke him up, Erwin lifted his head from his pillow. The light from the fireplace wasn't enough for him to see the person's features. Only the height of the silhouette told him it was Levi. 

“It's me,” Levi whispered into the dark. Erwin laid his head back down and closed his eyes. He drifted in and out of sleep barely hearing the sound of Levi getting undressed. Then the bed began moving and Erwin felt that little body try to press into him. So Erwin lifted his arm until he felt Levi pressing up against him, and he lowered the big arm back down to rest around the man's waist. 

“You're freezing, Levi.” Levi pressed closer. 

“Warm me up.” Levi buried his face in Erwin's chest, but pulled away soon after that. The fine blonde chest hairs tickled his nose. 

“You're coming in late,” Erwin murmured. 

“I had a lot of shit on my desk from when I was gone,” Levi whispered. “I'm tired.” Erwin knew that last bit was a type of apology from Levi for not being alert enough to fuck before sleeping. 

“Me too,” Erwin yawned and tried not to breathe on Levi with the exhale. “Are you going to sleep with me?” 

“I'll try.” 

“I'm glad.” Levi leaned up and put a kiss on the bottom of Erwin's chin. “Good night, Levi.” 

“Night, Erwin.” Levi yawned and closed his eyes ready to try and relax. 

“I love you,” Erwin muttered with a sleepy grin. 

"Love you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on tumblr! [valisi-clark](http://valisi-clark.tumblr.com)


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